Berchelt Returns with Easy Stoppage Over Awuku

CANCUN — Miguel Berchelt had an easy homecoming last night in taking less than three rounds to dispose of Maxwell Awuku at the Plaza de Toros.

Berchelt didn’t show any ill effects from the right-hand injury that kept him sidelined for the second half of 2017. The WBC super featherweight title-holder relied on the straight right hand to punctuate combinations as Awuku was repeatedly forced to the ropes. The southpaw challenger would occasionally respond with wild straight lefts that only gave brief reprieves on Berchelt’s forward march.

Awuku was dropped twice early in third with the straight right again being the money punch. The challenger was the verge of the third knockdown before referee Hector Afu halted the beating.

The win is Berchelt’s second defense of the WBC World super featherweight title he won in January 2017 by stopping Francisco Vargas. Awuku, who was not ranked by any of the sanctioning bodies, was the second last-minute substitute after pullouts from Cristian Mijares and Carlo Magali.